Langhe Nebbiolo, Cavallotto 2018

The Cavallotto family treats their Langhe Nebbiolo in very much the same manner as their Baroli, with the wine given an extended maceration period of anywhere from eighteen to thirty-eight days and then aging in large, Slavonian oak Botti for fifteen to eighteen months prior to bottling. The 2018 version is an excellent wine in the making, delivering a deep and complex nose of sappy red and black cherries, oregano, gamebird, lovely soil tones (that will turn autumnal quite promptly), a touch of camphor, woodsmoke and a topnote of dried rose petals. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with broad shoulders, fine focus and grip, excellent complexity, superb soil undertow, chewy tannins and a long, youthful and tangy finish. This is really a “baby Barolo” in the best sense of the term and a great, great value! Unlike many Langhe Nebbiolo bottlings, the 2018 Cavallotto will demand plenty of bottle age before it starts to drink, but will also age long and gracefully. Fine juice. 2028-2055.

This Nebbiolo comes from Barolo vineyards, generally from the youngest vines of Bricco Boschis, Vignolo, Codana and Pernanno. Excellent structure with aromas typical of the Bricco Boschis: Red fruits and flowers, with spices, all open and intense. Excellent aging potential.

Langhe Nebbiolo 2018 perfectly shows the balanced character of this vintage: the nose is quite rich in fruit and that is the result of a mid-summer heat wave; from the dry and hot weather of September and October rather come the rose scent, the concentration in tannins and the elegant structure. The overnight temperature range has then contributed to the slow and complex maturation of the fruit. The aftertaste is mainly cherry and raspberry with some notes of undergrowth and roses. Great acidity and structure. Drink 2024-2034